1. Field
One or more embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing an article or device for assaying a target, the article for assaying a target, and a method of detecting a target in a sample.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various target assay methods are known, for example, non-competitive target assay methods and competitive target assay methods. According to a non-competitive target assay method of detecting a target material in a sample, a first component that specifically binds to the target is immobilized to a solid substrate, the sample including the target to be detected is brought into contact with the first component to form a complex of the target and the first component, a labeled second component that can specifically bind to the target is brought into contact with the, and then a signal emitted from the complex including the first component, the target, and the second component is detected. The signal may be a signal emitted directly from a detectable label such as a fluorescent material of the labeled second component or a signal that is indirectly emitted by reacting an enzyme, such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or alkaline phosphatase (AP), of the labeled second component with a chromogenic substrate. This non-competitive target assay method may be an immunoassay.
According to a competitive target assay method of detecting a target in a sample, a first component that can specifically bind to the target is immobilized to a solid substrate, and in this state, in the presence of a labeled target or an analogue thereof, the sample including the target, which is not labeled, is added to the complex, and then signals emitted from the first component and the labeled target are detected. Thus, the more target is contained in the sample, the detected signal is weaker. The amount of the target is measured by comparing to a signal obtained using a reference solution containing a known concentration of the target.
In such conventional techniques, the second component and the labeled target are contained in a solution and are added to a reaction mixture during an assay reaction.